The Monday Mix (15/02/2021)
Hey friends,
Another Monday means another email. I hope you’re all well and enjoying yourselves! This month, I’ve decided to enrol in a writing challenge.
Why? It’s a good question.
Since we went into lockdown here in the UK last March, my motivation to work has gradually ebbed away. From enjoying the tranquillity of the first lockdown, I’m now ambivalent towards anything.
The days have merged into one and become monotonous. As we’re still in lockdown here in the UK, life has become like Groundhog Day. The same day on repeat with no end in sight.
This has impacted my creativity and desire to create. I’ve struggled the past few months to put out work and force myself to write. All writers go through funks but this one has been bad.
So when I came across Ship30for30 on Twitter, I thought I’d give it a go. The premise is simple. You write an atomic essay, 200 to 250 words in length, and publish it on Twitter. You repeat this process for 30 days. The idea is to develop a daily writing habit.
Today was the first day and it was amazing how invigorated I felt writing my first essay. I could feel the spark coming back and knowing there are hundreds of other people engaging in the challenge, gave me an extra lift.
I’ve decided I’ll repost an essay here every day during the week so you can see what I’m writing. If you want, you can follow me on Twitter and check out all the other amazing essays proliferating on the platform right now!
Let’s get into the best links and anything else I’ve decided to share this week!
Could We Cure Disease With a Trillion Dollars?
This is a thought-provoking article and one which left me angry, hopeful and worried in equal measure. One of the successes of the Covid response has been the rapid development of a vaccine.
Yet, this raises questions too. If scientists can develop a vaccine for a new virus in under a year, why have they been so slow to develop ones for other diseases such as malaria?
The answer is there was immense political will to divert funds to vaccine development. Every government on the planet was eager to get a vaccine so we could return to some semblance of normality.
But that still leaves the question of why we don’t do more to fight other diseases which kill millions around the globe. One successful vaccine campaign has almost eradicated polio. A disease which was a scourge as recently as the 1980s. Indeed, the statistic below highlights how successful the campaign has been.
The effort to eliminate the polio virus has prevented 1.5 million deaths, and 18 million cases of paralysis.
Maybe Covid will be the impetus we need to tackle infectious diseases around the globe and eliminate viruses, increase universal healthcare and prepare for the next pandemic.
If the response to the Spanish flu shows us anything, it’s that we can learn from our worst moments. But only if we choose to do so.
The Amazing Benefits of Being Bilingual
I read this essay a few years ago and stumbled across it again the other day. As someone who can speak Spanish and a bit of German as well as my mother tongue, I’m no stranger to languages.
The funny thing is, this wasn’t always the case. Apart from learning German in school, I wasn’t interested in foreign languages. I didn’t see the point when everyone spoke English anyway.
Living in Spain and learning the language changed my mindset. As did teaching English in Barcelona. I realised the benefits of speaking another language, not only in practical terms but cultural ones too.
The amazing thing is, people who speak more than one language are more likely to be better paid and thus more employable. Speaking multiple languages can also help you stave off Dementia and Alzheimers too.
If those aren’t the best reasons to learn another language, I don’t know what is!
Book I’m enjoying this week
Soccernomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski
I’m a big football fan and wanted to read this book for a while now. Safe to say, I was not disappointed. It’s an excellent book which looks at the numbers behind football and uses them to dispel several common myths.
If you love sports or football, I highly recommend reading. I’ll include a more detailed description in my reading list email later in the week!
Quote I’m pondering
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” - Epicurus
That’s all for now! Speak to you later!
Tom